In August, Veronica Paz and the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology held the Business is Ready Academy, a week-long intensive professional development program created to help faculty make the transition from teaching in a traditional, face-to-face setting to an online or hybrid model. The Academy was delivered both synchronously and asynchronously, modeling the hybrid format that many students are experiencing this fall.
A dozen faculty members from Eberly participated in IUP's Summer Academy, and many others joined the IUP Summer Express program to prepare for the fall term. Forty faculty members from Accounting, Finance and Legal Studies, Information Systems and Decision Sciences, Marketing, and Management attended informational Zoom meetings and were able to practice their new skills in one-on-one instructional design support sessions. The informational meetings covered a range of topics, including best practices in teaching with Zoom, teaching in a hybrid model, best practices in communication with students, course design for online learning, and tools for creating engaging materials.
On the final day of the Academy, Interim Dean Geofrey Mills spoke to the participants about teaching in these unprecedented times. He noted that while the rapid pivot to a new engagement style was difficult, we need to be sure that students recognize that we are providing a high-quality education. Student engagement is critical, and being intentional in activities and communication can help keep students thinking about your class long after it is finished.
The Business is Ready Academy
The Business is Ready Academy helped prepare faculty to meet the challenge of providing engaging courses in an online or hybrid setting.
Paz is offering the course to all IUP faculty and staff. If you would like to have access to the materials that were delivered, and that continue to be updated throughout the semester with videos, tips, and other materials, please complete this Microsoft form and Paz will grant you access to the Business is Ready Academy in D2L.